Voting is as much a duty as it is a right

Whatever our individual views on democracy, we can agree that most persons want the right to vote and to participate in selecting the leaders of their country’s political system. The question arises though, as to whether or not voting is as much a duty as it is a right. The journey to the right to vote was long and tedious and it can be argued that with that right came a responsibility. Voting as a duty or responsibility implies that each citizen, of whatever disposition, owes it to their country and fellowmen to participate at the polls. Since the 1970s, there has been a decrease in voter turnout in many democracies. In 2011 only 45 per cent of the eligible population in Morocco voted in parliamentary elections while in South Africa there has been a 16% decline in voter turnout between 1994 and 2014. In the US, participation in congressional elections has fallen by approximately 30% in the last 50 years. Widespread withdrawal from the political process is a threat to good governance and to the functioning of democracy as we understand it to be. While prospective voters often justify their withdrawal with salient arguments, it does not vindicate them from what should be considered a civic duty. The fact that the political system is unfair, corrupt or without likeable candidates is not enough to justify staying away from the polls. As citizens we have an obligation to either select from those who choose to run for office or become a part of the change we crave. The argument is sometimes made that an individual vote cannot change the result of an election and while the odds are significantly small, the possibility exists. Not only do several individual votes add up to a block of votes but there have been occasions where elections have been lost by one vote or because of a tie. Every vote matters and every vote potentially counts. Democracy, by definition, refers to government by the people, not to government by a few. For this to be true then all the people or a large majority should participate. In a global political climate where the number of persons who vote is sometimes smaller than those who abstain, it is questionable as to whether there is true democracy at play. If one believes in the concept of government by the people then voting must also be considered a duty. In his book, The Ethics of Voting, Jason Brennan writes, “When we vote, we can make government better or worse. In turn, our votes can make people’s lives better or worse. If we make bad choices at the polls, we get racist, sexist, and homophobic laws. Economic opportunities vanish or fail to materialize. We fight unjust and unnecessary wars. We spend trillions on ill-conceived stimulus plans and entitlement programs that do little to stimulate economies or alleviate poverty. We fail to spend money on programs that would work better. We get overregulation in some places, underregulation in others, and lots of regulation whose sole effect is to secure unfair economic advantages for special interests. We inflict and perpetuate injustice. We leave the poor behind. We wage drug wars that ghettoize inner cities. We throw too many people in jail. We base our immigration and trade policies on xenophobia and defunct economic theories.” Do we not have a responsibility as human beings to do all we can to ensure that our lives and that of those around us is as good as it can be? The writer is a development consultant and owner of Forrest Jackson Relocation Services

Opinions

Voting is as much a duty as it is a right